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DEFINITION OF A VETERAN A Veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life."
Author Unknown

Well put, Tom. It was a job that I was proud to do, but made me wonder why at the time. Being told not to wear the uniform off-base in certain places, being an E-6 and having your kids eligible for the school hot-lunch program because of my income level. And a few other things. I'm glad the sentiment has changed over the years.

Thanks to my kids,your kids,me & you for serving! It's a fact that no matter your politics there are some bad people in the world(as always) & I'm thankful there are those with the will to serve now & before.

Well Tom, you are being thanked whether you like it or not. Having been proud to have done your job is a good thing, but it was a job you did not have to sign up for, but did anyway.

THANK YOU!
Thank all of you who have served!

This came from the net:

Sentences like "I would encourage all citizens to thank the veteran for their service" are part of the problem. A small step in de-glorifying war is to stop using "service" as a synonym for the military. The words we use are critical to our thoughts, which direct our actions.

Here's a simple non-invasive way to help those with trauma and everyone - use the word "military" in place of "service". I got tired of people saying "thank you for your service". I give them my card titled "Please Don't Thank Me For My Service". It goes on - "I was in the military, not the "service". Service is doing something good. Service is what the person does who fixes your car. When the word "service" is applied to the military, it helps to justify violence as a method of conflict resolution. Like "defending our freedom" or "bringing democracy", the word "service" is used to lower the barriers of aggression. The military solution to conflict is death and destruction. That's not service. Call it what it is - the military."

After 23 1/2 years in the AF, my oldest son has made the decision to retire. They are dangling carrots to make the decision tougher but he's putting family first this go around. I'm delighted by his choice.

He's been around the world during this phase of his life, experienced many things and was in more than I'd like to count, war zones as support. 5 months and he'll be a civilian back stateside. The service helped shape him into a man. He's succeeded in life more than he ever imagined he would at 19 when he joined, going from enlisted to officer. I'm thankful for his service. I'm thankful that he can walk away unscathed where so many have not been so lucky. The sacrifices these young men and women make are hard to fathom when you haven't served.

Soon he'll move on to another chosen career and I know he will succeed.

On this Veterans Day, my thoughts are simply.........thank you for making the sacrifices necessary to be there when your country needs the support and thank you, God, for taking care of my son.

Sentences like "I would encourage all citizens to thank the veteran for their service" are part of the problem. A small step in de-glorifying war is to stop using "service" as a synonym for the military. The words we use are critical to our thoughts, which direct our actions.

Here's a simple non-invasive way to help those with trauma and everyone - use the word "military" in place of "service". I got tired of people saying "thank you for your service". I give them my card titled "Please Don't Thank Me For My Service". It goes on - "I was in the military, not the "service". Service is doing something good. Service is what the person does who fixes your car. When the word "service" is applied to the military, it helps to justify violence as a method of conflict resolution. Like "defending our freedom" or "bringing democracy", the word "service" is used to lower the barriers of aggression. The military solution to conflict is death and destruction. That's not service. Call it what it is - the military."

Posted by ARNY STIEBER on Oct 21st, 2012

Tom,
I fully understand your position. I have a few friends who spent time in the military, and they too hate being thanked for their time spent.

When I thank you for your "service", I am thanking you for all the times you followed orders, but did not want to. For going through basic, being sent overseas, taking fire, putting up with protesters in other countries, filling sandbags to try and stop a flood, and or what other possibly crappy or insane task may have needed to be done. "Service" is used as a broad encompassing term. You volunteered to do a very broad scoped job. A job most would not volunteer for. That is why you are being thanked.